This invention relates to fishing apparatus, particularly for commercial fishing operations.
In the past, it has been known to provide fish and crustacean traps having a mesh enclosure defining a cage and a generally funnel shaped mouth in the top through which the fish enters the trap but which prevents the fish from leaving the trap after entering. One particular problem with these known traps is that they occupy a very large volume of space when stowed on the deck of a fishing boat preparatory to use or after retrieval from the sea bed. Problems with foldable traps include the difficulty of erecting the traps easily, inability of some foldable traps to withstand rough handling, and inability to store the collapsed traps in a compact stack.
The launching or "shooting" of fish traps has in the past comprised a manual operation in which the trap is heaved over the side of the fishing boat. Retrieval of the traps has involved hauling the traps up the side of the boat and onto the deck. Both of these shooting and retrieving operations can be strenuous. Also, the nature of these operations has of necessity limited the usable size of the traps.